AI Hydra 26 HD - For 50 Gallon Tank

AppleJack · Nov 14, 2019

I recently purchased a Waterbox 70.3 gallon tank. I love the tank, but I am not to familiar with LED lighting. The total display is 50 gallons. It came with (2) AI Hydra 26 HD's. I have them about 8-10 inches above the water. My question is are they strong enough to do a mixed reef with SPS? Or are they too weak? I ask because a lot of the new corals (softies, zoas) I add are kind of bleaching out. Any help or suggestions would be great!

Thank you,

Terry Mattson · Nov 14, 2019

I own a red sea 350 (73 dt and 19 sump). It is lit with 2 AI 26. They are great lights. I have zoas, mushrooms, frogspawn, hammer, Duncan, two types of goniopora, pinwheel, war coral, and a couple other LPS. Additionally, I have a birdsnest (sps). The lights provide all the light they need.

Dierks · Nov 14, 2019

Could it be possible you are burning them? What do you run your lights at for intensity? I know a lot of people will want to see what your light profile looks like. I also have Hydra 26's and love them.

Terry Mattson · Nov 14, 2019

I run the lights about 10 hours. Ramp up and ramp down. Peak is about 68 to 70 watts. At peak, about 2 hours, uv 70 blues about 105 each, green 15, red 5, and white 40. After peak I ramp whites down to like 15 and run blues for about 3 then ramp down to zero ... all corals growing.

evilchef70 · Nov 14, 2019

Those lights will do just fine. Bleaching is usually too much light. I keep my Euphyllia and zoa mid tank and below and monti acro and birds nests higher up in the tank.

AppleJack · Nov 15, 2019

Dierks said:
Could it be possible you are burning them? What do you run your lights at for intensity? I know a lot of people will want to see what your light profile looks like. I also have Hydra 26's and love them.

I am using a slightly modded David Saxby's Profile from AI's website.
At peak level these are the values.
UV-72%
V-78%
RY-100%
B-93%
G-8%
DR-10%
CW-37%

I will try turning them down by about 15% of their current value and see.

JFLU · Nov 15, 2019

I agree with evilchef70
Here is what I am running with my tank. Picture down below. All my corals are doing great. If it is a new tank with a whole new set up such as in rocks and sand. Then that might have something to do with it as well. If so water changes are a mush to keep up with the water quality. As for what I have it mounted at is 11 in above the water and I am only running one hydra 26. Tank is 30w and 19t

JFLU · Nov 15, 2019

Also if you are making any adjustments to your lights I would do 5% increments once a week or every other week. Hope this helps you out

AppleJack · Nov 15, 2019

Thank you everybody! I am going to lower my lights and increase them over time by about 5% a week. I'll report back with how everything is dong soon.

Thank you,

AppleJack · Nov 15, 2019

One last question.

The Acclimation Mode. If I have lets say my reds at 10% currently and turn acclimation mode on to 50% for all colors. Will my red be at 50% or will they be 5% due to it being half of 10%? Hopefully that makes sense.

Dierks · Nov 15, 2019

The second one. It will do 50% of whatever you have your settings for!

AppleJack · Nov 28, 2019

Ok, so I just realized that I have 2 AI Prime HD's and not the Hydra's like mentioned before. Also I have set the acclimation mode to my tank to drastically reduce the brightness. But I seem to still have corals bleaching. So with these actually being primes should I still keep these at a 50% reduction for brightness over my size aquarium (50 gallon display?

Happy Thanksgiving!

JFLU · Nov 28, 2019

Would it be possible to take a picture of the aquarium to get a better idea of what your rock and lighting looks like?

also is it a new tank. Like first ever tank or just new set up?

JFLU · Nov 28, 2019

Happy thanksgiving as well

JFLU · Nov 28, 2019

Also what are your Parameters? NO3 and your alk? Those two are key to keeping everything in check.

Darleyboi91 · Jan 29, 2021

JFLU said:
I agree with evilchef70
Here is what I am running with my tank. Picture down below. All my corals are doing great. If it is a new tank with a whole new set up such as in rocks and sand. Then that might have something to do with it as well. If so water changes are a mush to keep up with the water quality. As for what I have it mounted at is 11 in above the water and I am only running one hydra 26. Tank is 30w and 19t

Could you please post a link to your schedule I'd like to use it.

JFLU · Jan 29, 2021

Darleyboi91 said:
Could you please post a link to your schedule I'd like to use it.

I have up greater my tank since then so my numbers are a bit different now. But I’ll post what it is at now

JFLU · Jan 29, 2021

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JFLU · Jan 29, 2021

JFLU said:
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Yea that didn’t work lol